Spinel™ Technology

New proprietary technology to replace costly use of platinum group and rare earth metals in catalytic converters.

Our Spinel™ technology is a unique clean emissions exhaust technology that will dramatically reduce the cost of attaining more stringent clean air standards.

What is spinel and Spinel™ technology? Spinel was the name initially given to naturally-occurring magnesium aluminate (MgAI2O4) and is now used to describe any composition with the same structure. Our Spinel™ technology may employ numerous low-cost metals in the spinel structure enabling use in a wide range of engine and vehicle applications, both gasoline and diesel, as well as other potential vertical markets.

Our unique Spinel™ technology utilizes various base metals which when combined together in a common structure achieve unusual and very effective catalytic conversion activity. Spinel™ technology is ideal for the coating of catalytic converters – an alternative to those utilizing costly platinum group metals (PGMs) and rare earth materials. The base metals we use are common and inexpensive compared to PGMs, such as platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) and rhodium (Rh), and rare earth metals, like cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La) and neodymium (Nd), to name a few.

In addition to significant cost savings over conventional coating formulations, the Spinel™ technology structure is extremely versatile and stable. The versatility is critical for optimizing future generations of products to meet changing catalytic conversion needs for rapidly evolving engine technologies and increasingly stringent clean air standards. The stability is critical to provide superior catalytic performance over time and at extreme temperatures for lifetime durability.

While not yet available, we are well underway with testing Spinel™ technology on production models of popular passenger cars and heavy duty diesel vehicles at independent vehicle test facilities.

Spinel™ Technology designed to save OEMs billions of dollars.

Billions of dollars are spent by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) annually on PGMs and hundreds of millions on rare earth metals for coating catalytic converters. PGMs are largely mined in South Africa and Russia, and rare earth metals are mostly sourced from China.

Catalytic converters require coatings comprised of chemical compounds to ensure proper performance. Standard coatings utilize PGMs and rare earth metals. As emission standards become more stringent, the demand for these metals will increase.

Our Spinel™ Technology mitigates the exposure OEMs face with supply uncertainty and price volatility in the PGM and rare earth markets. We believe it provides OEMs worldwide with a cost-effective solution to meet increasingly stringent emission control standards.

We are experts in emission control, as evidenced by our existing family of catalytic coatings featuring our MPC® technology and the process by which they are applied for customers such as Honda. Our manufacturing techniques surrounding the use of spinel-based compounds, are the result of the development and application of advanced material science by our world-class research and development team.

Spinel™ technology currently in development

We have received U.S. patents on the use of Spinel™ technology and many more are in the pipeline. For more information about our Spinel™ technology, please contact spinelinfo@cdti.com.

Spinel – "a diamond in the rough"

Did you know...that spinel was once referred to as a ruby? Natural spinel crystals have high levels of beauty and coloration and were often mistaken for precious gems - like rubies.

The Black Prince's Ruby, weighing roughly 170 carats, is actually a spinel gemstone. It is one of the oldest of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, having been in possession of the rulers of England since it was given by the "Black Prince" in 1367. It is prominently placed in the front of the Imperial State Crown which is encrusted with other various jewels and on display at the Jewel House in the Tower of London.

We believe that while spinel crystals don't look like precious metals – they will be a true "diamond" in the future world of catalysis and shine with the brilliance of a true gemstone.